Lone Miss. abortion clinic set for license hearing

JACKSON — Mississippi’s only abortion clinic says it is scheduled for an April 18 license revocation hearing before the state Department of Health.

The Center for Reproductive Rights said Wednesday that the clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, had received notice of the hearing date.

The Health Department told the clinic in late January that it intends to revoke the clinic’s license because the facility had failed to fulfill requirements of a 2012 state law. The law says anyone who does abortions at the clinic must be an OB-GYN with admitting privileges at a Jackson-area hospital.

Clinic owner Diane Derzis says no local hospital would grant the privileges to the out-of-state OB-GYNs who work at the clinic.

The facility is allowed to stay open while appealing a possible license revocation.